New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-27
Mr.. ARTHUR BALFOUR
NOTES ON THE NEW CHIEF SECRETARY
FOR IRELAND.

LONDON, N1aTCu
Mr. Arthur Bafour, the new Cher Sec
re,arv for Ireland. ia an amiable figure in
public life. With at least two of his predecessors
in that i-omened Office he has point OF close con-
tact He it, like Sir George Trevelyan and Mr.
John Morley a man of books, though not like them
eminent as a writer of books. lie is areader, stu
dent man really remarkable in these days OF SUI
perlcial culture for the soundness OF his acquisi-
tions. Mr. Morley. the other day. III
that wise and beautiful address OF his
on the study of literature, said: " There IS
o commission now at work on very Important anu
abstruse subject. and am told that no one there
displays so acute intelligence of the dihcnites
that are to be met and the important arguments
that arc brought and the practical ends to be
achieved, as the chairman of the committee VINO
is not what is called a practical man, but man Oh
study and thought and literature" The commas
sion to which Mr.. Morley referred is the Commas
sion on Currency and Mr. Balfour is ita chairman.
believe Currency to be subject which nobody
ever really understood. but it is certain that Mr.
Balfour, an amateur, astonishcd his
colleague and the men of business
who came before him by the extent
of his knowledge, and, as Mr.. Morley says, his
acuteness of perception. Mr.. Gladstone has been
known to say that Mr.. Balfour and Lord Rosebery
were the only two young men he knew who bought
books. Neither of them is so young as ne was
when the Grand Old Man made this interesting oo-
servaton, which continues true of Lord Roseoery'
less true now perhaps of Mr.. BaIfour whose houses
are full of books The new Irish Secretary's poll
ties have never been what Mr.. Gladstones became
in middle age Liberal but political differences dld
not keep the two men apart. The younger one
shared with Mr.. George Russell AMI one or TWO
others the privilege of being Mr.. Gladstone's pet
bows.
He is no longer boy, pet or otherwise, but still
young man; very young indeed to have won inc
position lie has in English politics. lie was born
in 1913 His mother was q sister OF the present
Lord Salisbury his father scottish laird OF the
larger kind. acknowledgements 1or some
reason inscruitable TO any but the Scotch mhd'
Whittingem.-is a very considerable estate III had'
dngtonshire. Its present owner made 1t more con-
siderable still some years since by large purchase
of adjacent land Those were the days when land
was nj Its highest AMI wnen landed investments were
still thought the surest of ALL Everybody KNOWS
what has happened since. In London Mr. Baiour lives
in Carlton Gardens. one OF the most 1ashiohaole
and stately streets of the Yves. End looking rear
ward on st. James's Park. He has been IN Parlia-
ment since 1874. when he sat for Hartford. When
Lord Randolph Churchill formed the Fourth Party
MIR. Batour was one of his recruits of whom there
N'''~NN--
gifted and erratc leader was always thought to be
less close than that OF Sir Henry Wolff or Sir John
Go (.
When in 1855 Lord Salisbury formed
his Ministry he made Mr.. Balfour Pr'si-
dent of the Local Government Board
The people who know everythng-they are
the most numerous class Of The COMMUNICATION
SAID that Mr. Balfour was left outside the Cabinet
because he was Lord Saiisburys nephew. ms
did not mean that uncle and nephew were on bad
terms. but that the Tory Prime Minister did not
choose to be suspected of a job. The nephew did
well in the Local Government Board. men, having
mastered the work Of one dihicnt department, ne
was in tho Usual English fashion, pitchforKed into
another of which he had the alphabet 20 learn ana
in 1ss6 became Secretary for Scotland. do not
think he need regret the experience. Inc scotch
secrctaryshlp is post a shade less impossible than
the Irish Secretaryship TO put him there was
IN Give him an experience. lt was
roasting n man before a slow fire as q preliminary
to roasting HIM before hot one. Scotch meth
DDS are unlike Irish methods, but the Scotch power
of beng dlsagrceablo to an official who does not
give them their own way Is very conslleraoe'
Then in Scotland there are generally two partleS
on every question, while Ireland. rs we all Know
- united and unanimous; Ulster and the million OF
Protesants do not count a Scotch Secretary VINO
takes sides certain to dspiease the other side IL
he be impartial anu hold the balance true ne eI-
RACES both. THIS has been Mr. Arthur Baliours
fate. and that is why | telegraphcd you the other
day that he quilted the Scotch Secrctaryshp heart
lily detested by Scotchmen. The statement Without
this explanation was, fear. abrupt
Politicians profess to consider Mr. Arthur bal
fonr 100 much of an dealist for the rough work he
has now in hand. They speak OF him as an
academic parsonage So did they of Mr. John Nor
lev. who. nevertheless proved himself capable
administrator and skiful in winning the regard OF
the Irish people; and so much OF thor ahectioh as
they did not reserve for the Viceroy ana Lazy
,hordaep These forecasts are seldom good for
mucb Mr.. Balfour was not thought to correspond
TO either of the two models men had
IN their minds for Irish Secretary lie was
not dra COON officer, and he was not Home huier
Now in these days people are coming, perhaps SLOW
w. but still coming to consider that these are 'ne
only possible alternatives. There are meu-many
men. perhaps-who look to General Lord WoIseley
"a the proper person for governing Ireland. There
are men who, as Mr.. Dillon rather incautious-
" said at Tipperary on Monday, look to Mr..
Parnell as the coming ruler and master of Ireland
Retween these two extremes lie the masses OF
thinking and unthlnking voters who are TOR any,
thing that will end the trouble. or even that VIII
mend il and put it out of sight and mind for the
tune being.
MIR Balfour is not Lord Wolseley and not
Mr. Pornell IL he resembles either 1t Is
Lord Wolseley. Ho has already shown the iron
hand beneath that velvet glove which the man
of letters and of society has 50 long worn he has
nerve; 80 much is clear. Yesterday settled that
Sir Michael Hicks Beach would have hesitated long
ere assuming frankly ana fully the responsibility
for CAPTAIN Plunkott's order TO the Youghal ponce
inspector" Deal very summary with organized
resistance to lawful authority. IL necessary, DO
NOR hesitate TO shoot them" Mr.. BalfOur met the
ouestion mt to hun IN the House of
Commons with courage which l doubt
not the Irish themselves admired He sustained
Capta,n Pmnkett and approved his order.
:" II appears to me-" said the quiet young fellow
with his quiet manner that Captain Piunkett
acted not only according to his duty but IN the man
hest Iculated TO huppQIt the authnr-